Management Planning Paper Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Management Planning Paper - Case Study Example In order to highlight the planning function of the management, this paper will look at the company's future direction as stated in its 2007 Annual Report. Boeing clearly recognizes the importance of the leadership of its workforce in the success of the business organization. CEO Jim Nerney states that "Without incremental improvements generated by thousands upon thousands of Boeing employees last year, we would not have met what was-to be sure-a very challenging business plan" (Annual Report 2007). The mention of the company's business plan highlights the company's commitment in making decisions for the company in advance which they implement through the members of its team. The launch of Boeing 787 Dreamliner has been precendented by careful planning of the structure, components, and how it will be marketed in the market. With its phenomenal success in the market Boeing had taken steps by planning the release of new variants in the market. Recognizing that its operation is shaped by various factors in its business environment, Boeing strives to keep up its success and performance in the market by taking note of how stakeholders are affected. With the rapid development in the market, legal, ethical and corporate social responsibility issues are taken care of as customers look beyond price and product quality as the bases in making a purchase. Studies show that customers are willing to pay a premium to purchase a product which is a produced by a business organization who gives back to the society they operate in (Kotler 2005). This is recognized by Boeing indicated by its passion and commitment in creating an image of a socially, ethically, and legally responsible entity. In the future, Boeing's main plan is to strengthen its position in the industry by keeping abreast with technological advancement. In its Annual Report, it states: "Our greatest contribution will come through pioneering new technologies with improved environmental performance" (Annual Report 2007). The company's commitment of operating profitably is now coupled with its aim of being an ethical organization by being concerned of how its processes and aircrafts affect the environment. Boeing identifies itself as socially responsible business organization by funding programs and activities which improves the plight of the society where it operates in. This commitment of becoming socially responsible is highlighted in the management planning. According to its 2007 Philanthropy report, "our communities are included among our company's key stakeholders in the management model that guides how we do business around the world." This statement supports that the company's plans are being aligned at how it helps to address pressing and compelling social issues. Thus, Boeing actively seeks to help communities in five core areas namely, education, environment, health and human services, arts and culture, and civics. Analyze at least three factors that influence the company's strategic, tactical, operational, and contingency planning. Operating in a capital intensive business environment, technological change becomes one of the most

Minorities at War Essay Example for Free

Minorities at War Essay Many people’s lives changed in various ways during and after the World War II. The lives of women and minorities such as African Americans and Native Americans, changed drastically mostly in a positive way. Just like during most wars, women found jobs and opportunities. This was mainly because men and husbands went to work in industries and factories in different parts of the country while others went to war as soldiers. With reduction in the male taskforce, young girls and married women had to take up responsibilities and jobs that were traditionally considered to be for men (Mays 17). Unlike the First World War, where women served as secretaries and nurses, in the Second World War they were placed in more skilled jobs such as: research, electronics, engineering and mechanics (Mays 17). The Women’s Army Corps was created in 1942, which enabled women to participate in combat fields as pilots and other support personnel but not in direct combat. The war served as a major platform for women in society, women started being viewed as useful in various fields and not just as caregivers. The opportunity to take part in jobs that were traditionally considered for men also empowered women psychologically (Mays 17). The fight for equality for all citizens began after the civil war where President Lincoln freed the slaves. The Select Service Act was passed in 1940, allowing Hispanics, Native-Americans and African-Americans to enroll to all the branches of the army. The war offered opportunities for many African Americans to escape poverty in their rural homes (Reinhardt and Ganzel). Many blacks enlisted in the army trying to escape a long period of tenant farming and Depression in the Midwest and South. The army recruited Negroes but still practiced segregation (Reinhardt and Ganzel). In the chaos of war, especially after Pearl Harbor, the army had to work together and segregation was broken. After the war, many blacks opted to remain in towns and do work related to what they did in the army instead of going back to their rural homes (Reinhardt and Ganzel). Movements for fighting for civil rights had been created. The post-war era, was a period of exceptional struggle by the African Americans against the second class citizenship that had been accorded to them. They resisted racial discrimination and segregation through nationwide protests, boycotts, rallies and civil disobedience (Reinhardt and Ganzel). Many blacks joined civil rights movements and legal efforts were made to challenge segregation and inequality through courts. These efforts were rewarded with the passing of the Civil Rights Act in 1964 which outlawed racism and segregation. In 1965, the Voting Rights Act was also passed allowing all races to vote. The passing of these acts was a great step in the demise of second class citizenship (Reinhardt and Ganzel). The struggle by the blacks to achieve equality inspired and influenced other civil rights groups as well such as Native–Americans and Hispanics. The war as witnessed was a great turning point for both women and minorities in America. They were all empowered by the situations created by the war to improve their status in society and fight for their rights. Work Cited: Mays, Dorothy A. Women in early America: struggle, survival, and freedom in a new world. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO Inc. Publishers, 2004. Reinhardt, Claudia and Ganzel, Bill. â€Å"Civil Rights for Minorities†. Wesley Living History Farm. 26 August 2010 from: http://www. livinghistoryfarm. org/farminginthe40s/life_18. html

Higher Education And Social Awareness

Higher Education And Social Awareness INTRODUCTION India’s higher education is the third largest one after the U.S.A. and China. For years India has made an impact in the world economy by providing intellectuals to the world. But that alone will not serve the purpose. The expectation from higher education is more than that. University Grants Commission proclaims the objectives of Indian higher education in its 12th five year plan â€Å" Higher education is about promoting excellence in more ways than one: at individual level, it is an instrument of upward mobility through cultivation of excellence; for national economy, excellence of work force is a pre-requisite of sustained growth; and for humankind, excellence is a must for extending the frontiers of knowledge and cultivation of values† Higher education should bring intelligence, workforce and Values. While analyzing the above objectives India has brought intelligence and workforce for the country but the question is whether the higher education system brings values or social concern among the students. Education should not stop with just acquiring the intelligence to earn more income and leading a sophisticated life. It should create social awareness and self-awareness. Today the social life is eroding in India. The educated persons are ignorant of not only the long accepted social values but also the modern values of secularism, socialism, democracy and professional ethics. A recent news paper reveals that a husband and wife, both who are in Indian Administration Service have amazed lot of wealth through corruption. This brings us the question that why these highly placed people engage in corruption. Also another recent report on newspaper shows that most of the criminals today are the educated people. Now we have to think that what is wrong in the education which they acquired. It is the lack of social concern in the education. In this regard it is important to analyse whether higher education is providing the right platform for social thinking. AUTONOMY IN HIGHER EDUCATION One of the radical changes in higher education is the introduction of autonomy. Autonomy and accountability goes hand in hand. This provides the college freedom to design their curriculum. Unfortunately most of the colleges use this status as a means for fund raising. Also while designing the curriculum they give prime importance to employability and least importance to ethical and social values. This will pave way for a self-centered attitude among the educated elite. Transparency of curriculum to the common man is crucial in making autonomy by bringing social values in it. The government should monitor the autonomous colleges through universities so that autonomy is not misused by the colleges. But the sad aspects of the universities are that their focus and objectives are far away from developing the higher education. CHOICE-BASED CREDIT SYSTEM Today most of the colleges are following the CBCS system in providing education. This system, which was imposed by the government, also provides only a minimum scope for imparting social values. The important feature of CBCS is that it concentrates more on skill based electives and non-major electives. Even the system adopted by the government is not providing a platform for socially relevant higher education in India. PRIVATISATION OF HIGHER EDUCATION Today the government allows the private parties to compete in higher education. The role of private parties in higher education is inevitable. But private education mostly concentrates on technical education rather than Arts and Science. Social values are not a part in the technical education. Also an extension activity was not a part in its curriculum. Again these private institutions compete each other to admit students. So they spent crores of rupees for advertisement and campus interview but they do not concentrate on the wholistic development of the students. Finally the students become intellectuals without social awareness. A strict control on private higher education institutions are the requisite for creating social ethics among the students. FOREIGN UNIVERSITIES Today the much debated topic on higher education is allowing the foreign universities to provide higher education in India. The argument kept by the current UPA II government is that it creates a healthy competition which in turn will increase efficiency and efficiency will bring quality in higher education. This argument is correct partly. But the main question unanswered is whether these institutions can provide a platform for our students to learn our traditional values and customs. The qualities of such universities are doubtful because only the third ranked foreign universities are coming to India and their motive is to make profit only. So they do not provide the socially relevant higher education. Again even if they provide the social values in education that will be the westernized values which does not suit our country. The social values will erode and finally a chaos will prevail in our country. Another danger of allowing foreign universities in India is that the Indian institutions, mostly private has to compete with foreign universities in admitting the students. So in order to encounter the competitions of these foreign universities, our universities also have to engage in concentrating on providing only employable skills and not the social values. So this move is also going to endanger the minimum social values provided in India today. So the government has to be cautious in bringing foreign universities to India. GOVERNMENT AND HIGHER EDUCATION The role of government is crucial in bringing higher education with social concern. The government of India in its action plan report of 12th plan has emphasised that higher education should be taken out from the non-profit zone and a nominal profit should be implemented. Thus the main stake holder of higher education is trying to bring higher education towards profit earning sector. So social values will take the second seat. The government considers higher education as a liability. There is also lack of co-ordination among the institution like HRD, UGC, AIT etc. which monitors the higher education in India. MARKET ECONOMY AND HIGHER EDUCATION Today all aspects are determined by the market economy. It has also touched the higher education. The market economy always imparts a pressure on the students from the school education. It wants people to acquire employable skills to work in the private concern. On the one hand the employment in organized sector is diminishing and on the other hand the job opportunities are only available in private concerns. So survival of the fittest is the order of the day and this makes the students to concentrate more on acquiring knowledge rather than participating in social agitation or discussions in social aspects. The education providers are also not providing the room for the students to discuss the social evils. The joy of learning is missing today. Thus the market economy provides the students with lop sided development. A capitalistic attitude is prevailing among the educated students. The market also fixes the wage for the teachers in private higher education institution. As the supply exceeds the demand, the market wage is low. So these teachers do not have the urge to provide a socially relevant education. They are not ready to discuss things which are outside the curriculum (i.e) social issues and the management also does not permit them. Only good salary and job security can motivate the teachers to discuss social issues. It is also disheartening to note that 80 percent of the graduates of Metropolitan cities prefer to work in foreign countries. This shows that our education was not able to inspire the young generation to a moral commitment of working in India for the well being of common man. CONCLUSION The above analysis highlights that the present higher education provides a lop-sided development. It provides only intelligence, but not the emotional intelligence and social concern. This is a dangerous sign as most of these students may be intelligent criminals. There is difference between education with social concern and education without social concern. A best example is the terrorists who demolished the twin buildings of U.S.A. He is very intelligent in hijacking a flight and entering into the territory of U.S.A. But he does not have the social concern and compassion to the persons in towers and their relatives. So there is an urgent need for a radical change in the higher education through which we have to include social concern, which will in turn will bring peaceful co-existence of the people of India. References Bhattacharya,J. (2012), ‘Higher Education in India: Issues, Concern and Remedies, University News, Vol.50, No.17. Government of India (2013) Twelfth Five Year Plan 2012-2017,New Delhi: Planning Commission. Jitendra Gandhi (2013), ‘Life Skill Education: An Urgent Need in Higher Education’, University News, December 09-15, Vol. 51., No. 49. Kumaran,D. Hemalatha Kalaimathi,D (2006), ‘Development and Validation of Social Skills Rating Scale’, Journal of Edutracks, 2006, Vol.5, No.8. Manish Lathe (2009), ‘Emotional Intelligence of Teacher Trainess’, Edutracks, May 2009, Vol.8, No.9.

Tools of the Craft Essay example -- essays papers

Tools of the Craft So you have decided you want to write. Perhaps you may feel you need to write. Sometimes this urge inside you is so sweet and urgent that you find yourself imagining the smooth feel of the keyboard beneath your fingertips. You can hear the tap tap of the keys as your fingers fly over them, forming words, sentences, paragraphs and pages of images that will flow from your mind to another’s in a bizarre and wondrous kind of telepathy. This desire may come to you as you are studying, attending classes, or working, making you yearn for the time when the tedious details of life might be abated, if only for a moment, so that you can finally work on your story. When at last you are able to grasp your favored writing instrument, whether it is keyboard, pencil or pen, you might reach inside for the words that had nagged at you so insistently earlier. Your fingers will caress the keys, or your pencil will lightly touch the page†¦and frustration will fill you more completely than your earlier desire had. For even though the words are there, deep inside the crevices of your imagination waiting to break through, the transfer of thought to print is more difficult than you had ever realized. Writing is hard, a fact that most novices and likely all experienced writers are aware of. When you find yourself fighting the inadequacies that plague your writing, where do you turn? Most likely you’ll seek the pages of the books and stories that have inspired you in the first place. Are the answers there? Perhaps; perhaps not. It can depend on the writer and the book. There are hundreds of books out there that claim to help the writer, including numerous â€Å"How To† books that address every aspect of writing that you have imagined and some that you may not have. Which are right? Where are the ones that might help you? One book for writers that has been popular for roughly 65 years was written by a professor of composition at Cornell University and revised by a writer of fiction who was well known for his fiction and essays. The Elements of Style, by William Strunk Jr. and E. B. White is a valuable guide for any writer. In it the writer will find rules for writing that are demonstrated by short examples. This book is for the writers who have found themselves stumbling over the roadblocks of grammar. It will also be of assistance in describin... ...writer, but he will discuss many of the rules Strunk insists on, and he will use examples from his own writing as well as the works of others to illustrate how the rules can be used to strengthen your writing. His tone will be more in the nature of friendly, personal advice to a friend than a clinical study of the mechanics of language, and this may appeal to a number of readers who have been overwhelmed by the other books. He will even present the rough draft of one of his short stories and demonstrate how it might be edited to improve it, listing in the following pages detailed explanations for each of the changes that were made. Finally, he will touch on certain elements of writing fiction left entirely untouched by the other two books: Dialogue, symbolism, and some discussion on the importance of plotting your novel as opposed to letting the story tell itself. Together, each of these books will provide the beginning or struggling writer with not only the tools for writing, but also with a demonstration of how to use them. These books will not make you a writer but they may be able to show you how to become a better writer. Once shown the way, it is up to you to follow it.

Performance Review Paper

BOTOX UK LTD PERFORMANCE REVIEW FORM Date of Review †¦17th April 2013†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Period Covered †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Oct 2012 – March 2013†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Name of Manager †¦Tessa Thomas†¦ Name of employee †¦Angela Marraner†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Job Role of Employee †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Senior Customer Sales Advisor†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Please complete and return to your line manager at least 7 days before your review date 1. How do you feel you have performed over the last six months in your role? I feel that my performance is not up to my usual standards, as I have not met my monthly sales targets for the last six months.I feel that my work ethic still feels consistent and I have still been exceeding my customer service targets. I think the lack of sales is due to higher admin work due to the influx of new starters not confident with the processes. 2. What do you feel has gone well over the last six months? I am an excellent team player and have enjoyed the new responsibility of assisting the new starters. This has helped me increase product knowledge and learn how to train.Alongside that my customer service scores are still exceeding and I have successfully maintained excellent after call work where possible. 3. What do you feel has not gone so well? Unfortunately although I have a new found responsibility to assist the new starters, my sales targets over the last six months have not met my usual standard. I have a lot of adhoc work from the new starters and there for this is affecting my sales targets. 4. Please review targets below and explain reasons for any targets not achieved. Months |Oct |Nov |Dec |Jan |Feb |March | |Actual |? 4,000 |? 5,000 |? 7,,850 |? 3,000 |? 4,000 |? 4,000 | |Achieved |? 2,000 |? 2,500 |? 3,500 |? 1,500 |? 2,000 |? 2,000 | Customer Service Months |Oct |Nov |Dec |Jan |Feb |March | |Set Target |85% |80% |80% |85% |85% |85% | |Actual |90% |89% |89% |90% |96% |95% | 5. Please highlight any training or development that would benefit you in your role or personal development. †¢ Delegate out new starters work evenly to senior customer advisors Mentoring to supervisor role/Team Leader role. 6. What is your goal for the next year? My aspiration for the next 12 months is to complete my NVQ to become a team leader within the department. |Objective |How it will be measured |Timescale/ Review date | |Met/ Exceed sales targets |Achieved sales targets will be measured |Monitored and reviewed monthly. Overall | | |against sales targets set by floor manager. |review 6 months time. |To work towards a Team Leader position by |By keeping a log of any extra responsibility |6 months to a year | |taking on more responsibility and training. |and training undertaken and reviewing what I | | | |learnt and how I will use this going forward. | | |To hit over 90% on customer service scores |Achieved scores will be mea sured against |Monitored and reviewed monthly. Overall | | |company customer service targets. review in 6 months. | 7. Is there anything other than what we have discussed already that you would like to raise? I would like to find out if I can get support to complete my nvq to better myself at work. 7. Outline agreed actions to overcome any shortfall against targets including such factors as training and development needs, equipment needs or medical support – – – 8 Indicate whether a performance related bonus should be made at current rates. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Signed: Line Manager †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Date †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Performance Review Paper BOTOX UK LTD PERFORMANCE REVIEW FORM Date of Review †¦17th April 2013†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Period Covered †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Oct 2012 – March 2013†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Name of Manager †¦Tessa Thomas†¦ Name of employee †¦Angela Marraner†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Job Role of Employee †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Senior Customer Sales Advisor†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Please complete and return to your line manager at least 7 days before your review date 1. How do you feel you have performed over the last six months in your role? I feel that my performance is not up to my usual standards, as I have not met my monthly sales targets for the last six months.I feel that my work ethic still feels consistent and I have still been exceeding my customer service targets. I think the lack of sales is due to higher admin work due to the influx of new starters not confident with the processes. 2. What do you feel has gone well over the last six months? I am an excellent team player and have enjoyed the new responsibility of assisting the new starters. This has helped me increase product knowledge and learn how to train.Alongside that my customer service scores are still exceeding and I have successfully maintained excellent after call work where possible. 3. What do you feel has not gone so well? Unfortunately although I have a new found responsibility to assist the new starters, my sales targets over the last six months have not met my usual standard. I have a lot of adhoc work from the new starters and there for this is affecting my sales targets. 4. Please review targets below and explain reasons for any targets not achieved. Months |Oct |Nov |Dec |Jan |Feb |March | |Actual |? 4,000 |? 5,000 |? 7,,850 |? 3,000 |? 4,000 |? 4,000 | |Achieved |? 2,000 |? 2,500 |? 3,500 |? 1,500 |? 2,000 |? 2,000 | Customer Service Months |Oct |Nov |Dec |Jan |Feb |March | |Set Target |85% |80% |80% |85% |85% |85% | |Actual |90% |89% |89% |90% |96% |95% | 5. Please highlight any training or development that would benefit you in your role or personal development. †¢ Delegate out new starters work evenly to senior customer advisors Mentoring to supervisor role/Team Leader role. 6. What is your goal for the next year? My aspiration for the next 12 months is to complete my NVQ to become a team leader within the department. |Objective |How it will be measured |Timescale/ Review date | |Met/ Exceed sales targets |Achieved sales targets will be measured |Monitored and reviewed monthly. Overall | | |against sales targets set by floor manager. |review 6 months time. |To work towards a Team Leader position by |By keeping a log of any extra responsibility |6 months to a year | |taking on more responsibility and training. |and training undertaken and reviewing what I | | | |learnt and how I will use this going forward. | | |To hit over 90% on customer service scores |Achieved scores will be mea sured against |Monitored and reviewed monthly. Overall | | |company customer service targets. review in 6 months. | 7. Is there anything other than what we have discussed already that you would like to raise? I would like to find out if I can get support to complete my nvq to better myself at work. 7. Outline agreed actions to overcome any shortfall against targets including such factors as training and development needs, equipment needs or medical support – – – 8 Indicate whether a performance related bonus should be made at current rates. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Signed: Line Manager †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 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The Power of Humor

The Power of Humor Free Online Research Papers Power is a very strong feeling. People have and always will strive for power. The sense of security power gives comforts people. They are not being attacked for their actions but in fact, they are backed by supporters (audience) or attain high morale by making their opposition (women or butt of joke) feel helpless and second-rate. The power struggle between men and women has always existed, and always will. Back when the women’s rights movement was happening, they gained a lot of power, but not enough. To this day women are still patronized and looked down upon as the poor, little, weak, girl image. Even salaries are still not equal to men. Men think of women as raising the kids during the day and being a good house wife, while the dominant man brings home the money to support the family. The word of the man of the house is the rule. Nancy Walker shows some examples how this idea of women is converted into comedy and how in different situations men would react or respond differently. She believes men’s background attributes to the different reactions. A good representation of this is if you see a Chinese or Asian women laugh, they always cover their mouths. This action shows shyness which most women, I believe carry. This also could possibly explain why women are embarrassed to joke and kid in the presence of a man or men. They feel they should not be doing this. When telling a joke, further along the line, someone will be offended. This statement, made by Susan Purdie, compares and contrasts the joke-teller and audience relationship and the torment of the butt of a joke. It is understood joking is a good way to make conversation or to meet people in general. But when joking, discretion is advised. People might get offended. Say for example, when going out with a group of friends who are all white except for one African American. A seemingly harmless joke about African Americans would not be appropriate because that person might get upset. The butt, in most jokes is considered a â€Å"stupid person†, and the teller/audience might distinguish themselves as clever, and or superior. Though this is not very nice, it is common. It is a fact that when a dominant group feels threatened of their power, they will do what they can to prevent the loss power, making them feel secure. Comedy is a language in it self. Comedy can imply an op inion of one person just by the jokes told. Racism can be easily linked in today’s comedy. Comedians poke fun at all sorts of ethnicities based on stereo-types known to public. When a good comedian sets up his act, he wants the audience to back him in his jokes. Once he has reached a certain level of support, he must feel very confident to throw more jokes bordering offensive, because he knows he is untouchable (powerful) with his crowd. Without the crowd, some jokes told would not be allowed to slide so easy. Patriotism is very powerful and is commonly used in jokes to attack all middle-eastern people. Talking about September 11th touches the audience’s memory to accept jokes about middle-eastern people. The power used in these situations is really quite frightening. Research Papers on The Power of HumorWhere Wild and West MeetHip-Hop is ArtAnalysis Of A Cosmetics Advertisement19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraThe Fifth HorsemanPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenCapital PunishmentBringing Democracy to AfricaComparison: Letter from Birmingham and Crito The Power of Humor Free Online Research Papers An old legend once said that shortly after Adam was created, he complained: â€Å"O Lord! You have given the lion fierce teeth and claws, and the elephant formidable tusks; you have given the deer swiftness of legs, and the turtle a protective shell; you have given the birds of flight wings, but you have left me altogether defenseless.† And the Lord said unto Adam, â€Å"I shall give you an invisible weapon that will serve you and your children better than any weapons of fight or flight, a power that will save you from even yourself. I shall give you the sense of humor.† (Wilson, 1996). Humor is defined as the quality or content of something such as a story, performance, or joke that elicits amusement and laughter. This unique characteristic has been known to affect the mind, body, and soul for thousands of years. What makes us laugh? There are three traditional theories about what we find humorous. The incongruity theory states that humor occurs when logic and familiarity are replaced by things that don’t normally go together. This means that a joke becomes funny when you expect an outcome and end up with an entirely different one. Now we have two sets of different thoughts that are occurring simultaneously and this incongruity between them are found to be humorous. The second is the superiority theory. This theory comes into play when we laugh because of someone else’s mistakes. It causes us to feel superior to this person and therefore presents laughter. The final theory is the relief theory. Movie-makers tend to have this theory down to a science. The act of building tension and then breaking it with a side comment, comic relief, is an example of the relief theory. We again have the two sets of different thoughts occurring simultaneously, and laughter is our body’s way of breaking that tension. (Marshall). The Power of Humor 3 So what exactly happens when you laugh? As you already know, your body is an amazing invention and your brain, an even greater one. Researchers believe that your brain goes through a series of steps before your body produces laughter. First, the left side of the cortex analyzes the words and structure of the joke. Next, the frontal lobe, which is associated with social emotional responses, becomes very active and the right side of the cortex carries out the intellectual analysis to â€Å"get† the joke. And finally, brainwave activity spreads to the sensory processing area before the simulation of the motor sections evoke physical responses to the joke. (Phinney, 2006). While your brain is inducing laughter, it affects your body in a variety of ways. During the side-splitting commotion, your heart-rate and blood pressure increase (like they do in exercise) and then decrease down to levels below normal. This causes you to breathe deeper and send more oxygen and nutrients throughout your body. Your body’s production of endorphins, t-cells, and b-cells increases. Your thymus enlarges creating more secretion of the hormones used to stimulate the production of infection fighting cells and eases muscle tension and psychological stress. (Wilson, 1996) Humor not only helps us stay physically healthy, but emotionally healthy as well. Being able to laugh at oneself and one’s life is a way to accept and respect oneself. Because this is a positive attribute, lack of a sense of humor is directly affiliated with a low self-esteem. Mental health benefits of laughter consist of a change in behavior for the best, increased energy throughout the day, a replacement of distressing emotions with happy thoughts and feelings, and a great path to unraveling stress by assisting us to view the world with perspective. However, a lack of sense of humor can be detrimental to your The Power of Humor 4 mental health. Because humor helps pull us out of emotional stress, a lack of humor would remove a healthy way for one to feel better. (Marshall). There is no hard physical evidence to support the claim that humor is the best medicine. However, humor is like gravity. You cannot sense humor with any of the five senses just as you cannot with gravity. Whether you believe in it or not, it works. Just as you don’t have to believe in gravity, if you step of a roof, it works! Similarly, you don’t have to believe in the power of humor, but just start laughing and your body gets a healthy boost. (Wilson, 1996). What do we find humorous? There are many factors that cause everyone to find humor in an assortment of places. Experts say the most significant seems to be age. Infants and young children are constantly learning new and exciting things in the world around them. All of these new and surprising discoveries register to them as funny. Jokes that involve cruelty, which boosts their self-assertiveness, are also very appealing to them. As children grow into their pre-teen and teenage years, they tend to laugh more at jokes related to sex, food, authority figures, and anything that is not morally right to do. As teens mature into adults, our sense of humor also matures. The adult sense of humor is more subtle and less judgmental on differences in people. For the most part, adults laugh at and about what stress them out. Another factor in finding humor is the culture or community we are from. There are issues related with every country that may be joked about but might only be understood by t hose from that country. If this is the case and we are not familiar with the situation being joked about, our brain doesn’t â€Å"get† the joke and the laughter response is not triggered. If a joke is registered in the brain and the response The Power of Humor 5 is, â€Å"that’s not funny,† it suggests that the joke was either offensive or the person lacked an experience that tied the joke and the punch line together. (Marshall). Although there is no way to prove the old saying â€Å"humor is the best medicine,† there are many stories and reports that tie the two together. At the trauma center, Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, WA, a man walks around dressed as Dr. Seuss leading chants and humoring patients, staff, and visitors. Therapeutic laughter originated in India not long ago and has unintentionally made its way into this hospital. In the summer of 2000, Tita Begashaw invited posted flyers encouraging a laugh session in front of the hospital. Six years later, Harborview Medical Center’s laugh classes are part of a weekly routine. (Phinney, 2006) A 41-year old man named Tom, after suffering two mild heart attacks, needed to go through the surgical procedure of an angioplasty before he could get back to his normal life. As Tom and the team discussed the procedure, they agreed on using a positive outlook and a sense of humor. Unaware of Tom’s secret humor weapon, the time came and the team wheeled him to the operating room. On the way, Tom pulled out a fuzzy pair of â€Å"groucho glasses† and put them on. One of the nurses played it out as if they were regular glasses, took them and insured they would be right there after the procedure. This little bit of humor stuck with them as a way for Tom to show his belief and support in his team. After the outstanding success of the operation, Tom later told of how big a role humor had played in getting him through this frightening experience. (Wilson, 1996). The Power of Humor 6 There is an international clearinghouse for news, information, and ideas about therapeutic laughter. This worldwide organization is called the World Laughter Tour. Its goal is to lead the world to health, happiness, and peace through laughter. Although this is probably the largest laughter club, there are many others in every state. The WLT offers a training program on â€Å"How to Create Therapeutic Laughter and Laughter Clubs.† The program prepares you to be a qualified leader for laughter clubs and other therapeutic laughter activities by teaching you everything from the science of laughter to the group dynamics of a laughter group. This is a very helpful program in the ways it helps people lower their stress, take life a little more lightly and most importantly, switch on the power of healing. (Wilson, 2008). The saying goes, â€Å"Angels can fly because they take life so lightly.†-Anonymous. The observation of humor’s effects on the mind and body has been greatly increased over the past decade. No one knows its true outcomes, or if it really is the â€Å"best medicine.† but we do know how it affects the body. If you are ever find yourself in an overly-stressed situation, try to find something humorous in it. Now that you have a new prospective on the situation, you might find that you are more relaxed and less stressed. The Power of Humor 7 References Marshall, Brian. How Laughter Works. http://people.howstuffworks.com/laughter.htm/printable Phinney, Susan. (2006). Humor has fans in medical circles. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/health/262840_laughter14.html Sultanoff, Steven M. (1995). What is Humor? aath.org/articles/art_sultanoff01.html Wilson, Steve. (1996). Humor and healing: The invisible weapon. worldlaughtertour.com/pdfs/02%20INVISIBLE%20WEAPON.pdf Wilson, Steve. (2008). World Laughter Tour History. worldlaughtertour.com/sections/about/history.asp Research Papers on The Power of HumorWhere Wild and West MeetThe Hockey GameThe Spring and AutumnThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalThree Concepts of PsychodynamicCapital Punishment